Could you face charges of insider trading?

You may think that it’s highly unlikely you will ever need a securities law attorney. After all, the trades you’ve made on the market were always transparent and above-board.

However, you could get caught up in something you never anticipated. Maybe your broker got involved in some unauthorized trading and tried to shift the blame to you. The fallout could be swift and serious.

This is certainly not a storm you want to weather without an experienced attorney. Securities law is complex and dynamic. Something you thought was legal may not be if the laws were updated recently.

Even those who work in the industry can be vulnerable to charges. Insider trading is a broad term, but you don’t have to be a corporate executive to face such allegations. Suppose you were a mailroom clerk who happened to overhear some elevator gossip about a hot stock that’s about to split. Technically, if you act on this insider tip, you could be charged with insider trading.

Much insider trading flies right under the radar and never is detected by authorities. But suppose you discussed the tip with your spouse before you acted upon it. Months pass, and your marriage seems to be headed off the rails. A vengeful spouse or someone they talked to could report you to the federal authorities, and you could wind up arrested and facing serious criminal charges.

If that happens, you need to act quickly to seek legal representation. Then, you and your securities law attorney can assemble a viable defense to the charges you are facing.